This invention relates to baling machines which load packages of goods into bale bags and to a high speed baling machine which is easily adjustable to put different sizes of packages into a corresponding one of a range of sizes of bale bags. More particularly the invention provides a chute and a bale bag supply apparatus both of which can be adjusted to accept the packages and bale bags.
The invention will be explained with reference to baling packages of potatoes but it is also suitable for baling other types of bagged products, such as ice and more particularly fruits and vegetables.
Many types of packaged products are sold in relatively small packages, such as for example potatoes which are commonly sold in packages of 5 or 10 pounds and ice which is commonly sold in 10 pound packages. Handling and shipping products in units of such a small size increases costs and so it is common to package or bale a number of smaller packages of product into a bale bag which contains between 40 and 60 pounds of product in order to minimize handling costs.
Baling can be done by hand but automated baling machines or balers are quite often used to decrease labour costs and increase baling speeds Typically such balers elevate the packages lengthwise on a conveyor belt before unloading them sequentially sideways into a vertical chute until a group of a predetermined number are stacked side-by-side on trap doors at the bottom of the chute. The doors are then opened and the group of packages in the chute drop into an open bale bag suspended below the chute. One improvement to such a baler is to include a moveable platform below the chute, arranged such that the platform moves to absorb the impact as the packages drop into the bale bag thereby minimizing possible damage to the products in the packages. Next the full bale bag is pushed onto a conveyor and the upper end of the bag is straightened by a bag conditioner and closed by an automatic tying machine as the bag exits the baler.
Empty and closed bale bags are suspended from a bag supply apparatus which is fixed to accept one size of bale bag top although the apparatus may be adjusted to accept bale bags of different lengths.
Adjustment of the chute in this baler is possible in a limited fashion to accommodate different lengths of packages as they fall sideways. The chute is made up of two flat side portions and two curved end portions which are bolted to the baler's frame. The chute can be adjusted to accommodate a range of package lengths by varying the distance between the end portions. Such an adjustable chute is provided to suit a small range of similar packages which vary somewhat in length rather than in width. In practice, however, the limitations of such a machine result in compromises to extend the range of sizes of packages which can be baled. For instance, it is possible to arrange smaller packages in an average bale bag by dropping the packages so that every other one touches one end portion and the adjacent ones touch the other end portion. The result is an interweaving of the packages to make as much use as possible of a bale bag and chute shaped for larger packages. Clearly the inherent limitations of such prior art balers restricts the application of the balers to those packages for which the baler is designed. It would therefore be advantageous if a baler could be adjusted to receive a wide variety of packages and to place them in bale bags designed specifically for those packages. The resulting full bale bag would be better for handling and there would be a minimum of wastage.